• Home

• About Child Find

• Comprehensive Child Find
  Systems Products
• Child Find
  Demonstration
  Projects
• Improving Child
  Find in Your
  State or
  Community
• Related Links

What Is Child Find?

Child Find is a continuous process of public awareness activities, screening and evaluation designed to locate, identify, and refer as early as possible all young children with disabilities and their families who are in need of Early Intervention Program (Part C) or Preschool Special Education (Part B/619) services of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

To receive Early Intervention Program or Special Education, children must meet eligibility guidelines according to the IDEA. States have different eligibility guidelines for their Early Intervention Program and Special Education services. In addition to children with disabilities, some states have elected to provide early intervention services for infants and toddlers who are at risk of developmental delay and their families. For information on the definition of disability under IDEA and eligibility criteria for early intervention in your state, contact your state's Part C coordinator at http://www.nectac.org/contact/Ptccoord.asp

IDEA requires all states to have a "comprehensive Child Find system" to assure that all children who are in need of early intervention or special education services are located, identified, and referred. The lead agency for Part C of IDEA Early Intervention Program and for Part B/619 (serving preschoolers with special educational needs) in each state is responsible for planning and implement a comprehensive child find system. In some states, the lead agency for these two programs is one and the same, while in others, different agencies oversee the two programs.

What's Included in a Comprehensive Child Find System?

A comprehensive Child Find system includes at least seven major elements:

• Definition of Target Population
• Public Awareness
• Referral and Intake
• Screening and Identification of Young Children who May be Eligible for IDEA services
• Eligibility Determination
• Tracking
• Interagency Coordination

Information Adapted from START resource packet: Child Find by B. Bourland and G. Harbin, 1987

Where Can I Find The Specific Components for Part C Child Find? In addition to direct links to the National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center web site at http://www.nectac.org/topics/earlyid/earlyid.asp , more information about Part C IDEA, child find and related components can be found at the IDEA Practices web site through the links listed below:

Developmental Delay - Sec. 303.300 State eligibility criteria and procedures.

Central Directory - Sec. 303.301 Central directory.

Public Awareness - Sec. 303.320 Public awareness program.

Child Find System - Sec. 303.321 Comprehensive child find system.

Evaluation for Eligibility - Sec. 303.322 Evaluation and assessment.

Nondiscriminatory Procedures - Sec. 303.323 Nondiscriminatory procedures.

The above sections are from 34 CFR Part 303, Early Intervention Program for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
Subpart D - Program and Service Components of a Statewide System of Early Intervention Services

For a more comprehensive link to all the IDEA laws and rules and regulations link to the IDEA Practices web site at IDEA '97 Law & Regs.